Designing With Country Decor - How To Decorate Country Cottage Style Homes
Rustic country decor and how to decorate cottage style homes are extensions of American country style interior design. Additionally, traditions are borrowed from French, English and some Swedish country decor. Rustic country interiors can be defined as coarse, attractively simple, uncomplicated...
Rustic country decor and how to decorate cottage style homes are extensions of American country style decorating. Furthermore, traditions are taken from French, English and some Swedish country looks. Rustic country decor can be defined as coarse, delightfully simple, modest, unfinished and yet with appealing traits. Rustic country decorating includes the use of natural woods, aged surfaces, coarse finishes and straightforward lines. Cottage homes styles are relaxing, unpretentious, picturesque homes that can be made of thick stone or timber wood.
Flooring in a rustic country home or cottage is finished with stone or wood materials. Wooden floors were customarily constructed with planks of wood that were natural and simply waxed and hand-polished (high-gloss varnishes did not exist). Sometimes planks were painted with light colors. If you prefer floor coverings, oriental rugs and throws add visual warmth and color. Country home decor is about handcrafted bits and pieces, simplicity, furnishings that you enjoy and connecting with nature within the home.
Cottage furniture is normally constructed using pine and often painted with hand-painted designs such as flowers, birds, animals, country scenery or leaves. Use ladder-back chairs, rockers, simple benches, wicker furniture and Windsor chairs. A large rectangular table made of heart pine is a good option for your kitchen or dining room table. To create a rustic look on your furniture, brush a coat of paint on the furniture piece, then rub most of the paint off. When it dries, use wood stain unevenly for an older weathered look.
Baskets can be used to collect kindling wood, pine cones, flowers, plants and needlework. Brass candle holders, kerosene or oil lamps, sconces, hurricane lamps, tin lanterns, recessed ceiling fixtures or a vintage wrought-iron or metal chandelier provide ambient lighting for rustic country decor and cottage style homes. Colors used in rustic country decor or cottage style homes are neutral tones ranging from white to bone, earth tones, red barn, blues and greens.
In the kitchen, use open shelves, hutches, buffets, plate racks and cupboards for storage. Frequently, country kitchen storage is jam-packed with stoneware pots, plain glazed earthenware and glass jars. Use kitchen pots made of copper, steel or cast iron - cookware tends to be large and basic. Make use of open shelving in the kitchen to exhibit plates, dishes and dinnerware collections. Natural woods, light colors and bright fabrics work well for window treatments. Adding a rustic butcher block island creates a great visual effect as well as provides useful functionality.
The bathroom has neutral tones or softly colored walls, antique-looking lighting, and wooden antiques or antique replicated cabinets and vanities. Knowing how to decorate cottage style homes and bathrooms can result in creating a tranquil and elegant impression. Clawfoot tubs, pedestal sinks, country style antique brass faucets and old-fashioned country cabinets give the kind of ambiance that will make you want to spend all your time there. Natural white towels are suggested instead of patterned or bright color patterns. Use wicker or wire baskets to keep your sponges, loofas and shampoos handy near the tub or shower.
An understanding of how to decorate cottage style homes means including bits and pieces like quilts, old-fashioned furniture or reproductions, flea-market pieces, trunks, chests, armoires, stenciling, wallpaper, Adirondack chairs, flower wreaths and bistro chairs. These types of essentials give cottage style homes the kind of rustic country decor that is simpler, very alluring and warmly appealing.
Whether in a seaside setting, an urban environment, a countryside location or a wooded mountain hideaway, cottage style homes are cozy and unpretentious, combining the past with the present. Read all you can find and discover what creating the rustic country cottage means to you no matter where its location. Take pleasure in expressing your individuality and presenting what the definition of home is to you.